Conjuring the Arab Magician

Name: Conjuring the Arab Magician
Price: 145.57 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9781009547222

Intercultural Histories of Magic

Gal Sofer (BenGurion University of the Negev)

$181.95 $145.57

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Cambridge University Press
22 January 2026

Conjuring & magic; Islamic & Arabic philosophy; Magic, spells & alchemy

Series: Elements in Magic

This Element reassesses narratives of intercultural transmission in medieval European magic, highlighting complex processes of compilation and attribution often obscured by broad labels. Following an Introduction that lays out the methodological framework, Section 1 ('The Wise Saracens') explores a medieval Christian magician's depiction of Islam and the figure of the Arab magician, illustrating how authors blended genuine intercultural exchanges with imaginative attributions. Section 2 ('The Seven Names') reconsiders a Latin magical text traditionally labeled 'Arabic magic,' demonstrating that its complex, multicultural components resist any simple claims of a lost Arabic original. Section 3 ('The Almandel Problem') presents another contested text, showing how philological evidence often complicates a linear model of transmission. Finally, this volume offers a complete edition and translation of The Book of Seven Names, discussed in Section 2.

By: Gal Sofer (BenGurion University of the Negev)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Weight: 268g
ISBN: 9781009547222
ISBN 10: 1009547224
Series: Elements in Magic
Pages: 90
Publication Date: 22 January 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction; 1. The Wise Saracens: Berengar Ganell and his view on Islam; 2. The seven names: revisiting an 'Arabic Magic' work 27; 3. The Almandel problem: do we have to assume a lost source?; 4. Concluding remarks; 5. The book of seven names: edition; 6. The book of seven names: translation; Bibliography.